ZECHARIAH 7

GOD DESIRES HEART-LEVEL CHANGE FROM THE ISRAELITES 

Now that the exile has ended, the Israelites wonder if their mourning and weeping should come to an end. God speaks to Zechariah, questioning the intentions behind the Israelite’s fasting and mourning. Were they doing it to honor God or to glorify themselves? God wants to be known by the Israelites on a deep, personal level, not through rituals or absent-minded religion.

Zechariah tells the people that instead of fasting, God desires them to show kindness and mercy to one another, care for the oppressed, and remove evil from their hearts. Just like the generations of the past, the Israelites were stubborn and unreceptive, failing to listen to God’s call for true repentance and righteousness.